A Chara, - As an Irish person living abroad, I have had the opportunity to see how our citizens are viewed. Generally, people believe that the Irish are a people unlike many others in their "open arms" attitude to foreign visitors and that made me proud. However, I have also noted the increase in racist attitudes in the past year. The latest incident concerning the African shop in north Dublin only serves to heighten my concern about the type of country I am returning to. Have we become so narrowminded in our economic boom that we are unwilling to share it with anyone else? Or is it that the Irish have always had racist undertones, except that we didn't have to face them?
I am hoping that the image of a friendly, welcoming country which I promote is not just another ancient Irish myth and that such incidents are perpetrated by a small number of insecure and ignorant people and do not characterise the attitude of the entire country.
My home town of Athlone is currently preparing for a number of refugees to be housed there. I am confident that when I return there I will not see incidents like this. - Is mise,
Edel Moriarty, Chico, California, USA.